Enter the following URL into the Downloader app and press Go:bit.ly/oldfiretvyoutube

Move the cursor over the download button and click to download the older YouTube app. The app is tiny, so don’t be surprised if the download progress popup quickly appears and disappears.

Select the Install button in the lower right corner when it appears. If you don’t see this screen after downloading the old YouTube app, it’s likely because you have not properly enabled Apps from Unknown Sources.

You can now open and use the older YouTube app as long as Google doesn’t do anything to further block its access. You’ll likely still see the message telling you the app will be disabled at some point, but for now all functionality of the app should still work.

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The Android TV version of the YouTube app also works perfectly fine on the Fire TV. I have the Play Store installed so I could directly install it from there, but it could probably easily be sideloaded. Will be using that for now until we know what will happen with Amazons YouTube app. The interface is the same for all apps.

I would also like to confirm that, although it is true that the YouTube APP for AndroidTV works perfectly well on all FireTV models, it is impossible to log in…

However, I curiouslly has noticed that when using the old YouTube (GoogleTV) 1.0.5.6-10005061-minAPI17 APP, Uploaded April 12, 2015, then it is possible to register with our Google email/password without any problems:

Yes you can sign in with this old YouTube (GoogleTV) 1.0.5.6 APP, I am using it on 4 FireTV Sticks and 4 FireTV Boxes, but you will have to also install four original Google APPs, in the following order:

I had no issue logging in but as Ulises said you probably need to setup the Google framework. It might be enough to install the Google Service Framework and Google Account manager, not sure. I am rooted and have Play Store fully working so login in in YouTube was one click. Casting from the YouTube phone app is supposed to be supported by the app but has not worked for met.

Tomi, I’m sorry to hear that after you installed the 4 applications that I mentioned earlier, you could not log in using the YouTube (GoogleTV) APP.

I find it very strange that it does not work for you, because I have installed these 4 APPs in all my FireTV units (1st. and 2nd. Generation FireTV-Sticks and Boxes), and I have never had any problem when registering using this YouTube APP (GoogleTV) version.

After having installed these 4 Google APPs, I have also tried Gmail and Google-Drive, and they have also worked perfectly well on my FireTV units.

However, I must say that when you log in to your Google account, you must be very careful when you enter your email and password, because with FireTV it is a little uncomfortable to write them and many times we repeat or miss the letters, which gives always an error.

What version of Fire are you on? I could get into google services when I was on 5.2.4.2 but since upgrading to 5.2.6.0 I can’t. I will try your if you can confirm versions. What GoogleTV YouTube app are you on? Also, are you installing the 64bit or X386?

Hi Uli, thank you for your support,
i tried to find this version of the goole apps, but there are tons of variant of these on the apkmirror site. That is a chaos :S (achitecture, screen dpi :SSSSSS i hate android for this:/

Please note that although others normal Google-Play-Services APPs (for cellphones) also works on the FireTVs, it’s better to only use the “Google Play services” APP for Android TV, with the 3-digit sequence “836” (836-177350961):
8 for Android TV
3 for armeabi-v7a
6 for 320

This “Google Play services” APP is also required for running Google APPs and also video streaming APPs like Terrarium TV.

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The “Google Play Store” APP must be v4.6.17, although it is an old version, because newer versions can not be installed and do not work in the FireTVs.

Tried this method. Was able to install the app, it works, however it doesn’t show up under the list of apps or under recent apps. In order to launch the app I need to go into settings>applications>managed installed applications. Am I missing something? At this point it’s easier just to use Firefox.

I’ve found that the browser-based Youtube via Silk and Firefox doesn’t present all my subscriptions as they exist on my Youtube account. It might be a work-alike, but neither of them are as feature complete as the app was.

That’s strange–for me, I can’t tell them apart, the interface is identical. Mind you, it was always a bit lacking, no shuffle feature for playlists is my big gripe, but all of my subscriptions (and I have many), show up fine. I guess the official Android app may have more robust features–haven’t compared, I don’t watch much video on my fone, but Firefox’s view of youtube is the same as it always was on my fireTv…

Tomi, happy to know that now after installing all the versions of the applications that I mentioned, finally you have been able to install these 4 APPs without problems and that also all of them have worked flawlessly!

As you may have noticed, it was a matter of installing different versions of each of these 4 APPs, which I had already been testing for some time, to be able to select which versions worked and which ones did not …

Interestingly, not all nor the most recent ones versions of these 4 APPs work in FireTVs… That’s why you’ve seen that of the 4 APPs, 2 are from a year ago, the Play Store APP is from October 2, 2014, and Google Play services is the latest version of this APP for AndroidTV:

Tomi, I forgot to mention that as many new video streaming APPs as Terrarium require having installed the latest Google Play Service, if possible you should always use the latest version of this APP… Or you will always get some error notification messages on your FireTV…

Ulises, once you install those older Google apps on the Fire TV, including the Google Play Store, won’t it at some point automatically try to update those apps in your group to the newer/current versions, and thus render them non-working?

You can install the old app and it appears to work for a moment but then continually reboots with a message saying that you can no longer watch YouTube on this device. Good thing I have an old Chromecast lying around…

No, this is for youtube only. I have tried to install youtube tv but got stuck on locations services. There are reports that youtube tv works in firefox, but i can not confirm. I don’t have a subscription. I have seen a spike in attempts to get youtube tv working, but i cant confirm. Head over to XDA and see if there are any developments…

as of today, 22 jan 2018 i can longer watch the old style YouTube app using the amazon fire stick on my tv. after a long frustrated search i am taken to the unwatchable version offered by both silk and firefox. im furious as this was the main reason for buying the firestick. damn you amazon and google that’s another reason to hate you and your near monopoly over all things internet related.now it doesnt even work on the firefox or silk platforms and what i can see is on a tiny box at the top of the screen with next to no facility to search for YouTube videos. its crap.
im just gonna have to try any work around i can find to take me back to the sanity of the old style app